89 mins
Conor Sammon scored a double to help send Kilmarnock into the third round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup despite a plucky performance from Morton.
The Scottish Premier League side went ahead after 24 minutes when Sammon scored from the penalty spot after being tripped by Ryan McWilliams.
First Division Morton matched that when Ryan McGuffie scored from the spot after Tim Clancy fouled Brian Graham.
But second-half headers from Sammon and Kyle ensured their was no cup shock.
And for Kyle it was a perfect way to celebrate his recall earlier in the day to the Scotland squad.
The first real chance fell to Morton when Jim McAlister ran on to a short corner from Kevin Finlayson and bore down on goal.
But the end product was poor and was comfortably blocked at the near post by Alan Combe, who was back in the Killie goal for the first time this season at the expense of Cammy Bell after a hip problem had kept him out of the opening two league games.
At
the other end, Ryan McWilliams' palms were left
stinging when Kyle collected a long ball from Craig
Bryson before turning in the box and unleashing a
powerful strike.
The big striker was threatening again when he threw himself in front of a cross from the right from Mehdi Taouil only to nod just wide of target.
Killie had looked most likely to open the scoring and did so when Conor Sammon stepped up to rifle home a right-footed shot that left McWilliams no chance in the Morton goal after the striker was fouled in the penalty box.
Morton hauled themselves level with a minute of the first half remaining with a penalty of their own.
After Graham was fouled by Clancy, McGuffie did the honours from the spot, sending a confident, low strike past Combe.
Morton emerged for the second half full of confidence and had a couple of decent half-chances after the restart as the home crowd grew increasingly restless.
But
Killie were back in front with 64 minutes gone when
the ball broke kindly for Kyle and he whipped across
the face of goal, where Sammon was
waiting to direct a header past McWilliams from
close range.
A well-struck effort from Taouil rippled the side-netting before Killie substitute Manuel Pascali - who had replaced the injured Jamie Hamill at the break - just failed to connect with a Bryson cross just a few yards out.
Sammon
blasted over from the edge of the six-yard box when
it looked easier to leave the net bulging and claim
his hat-trick.
Instead, it was Kevin Kyle who had the final say when he met a David Fernandez cross and nodded home from close range to seal the win.
Sandy's Match Pic's are HERE
